Changing of Ways
by Gelsey
Summary: Temporarily on hold. Hermione saves Draco in the summer after her 6th year. He stays with her. What happens when Harry and Ron find out? Will something besides friendship come out of it all?
1. Ch 1When shopping goes bad

Hello all!! This is my first fanfic, in any genre. Be gentle, but please read and review- constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy.  
  
By the way, I OWN NOTHING!! I'm a poor little o' college student, with a max of $20 at a given time, so obviously, I'm not making any money off of anything. R&R, ~Gelsey~  
  
Ch. 1 When Shopping Goes Bad  
  
Hermione Granger was bored. Utterly, devastatingly bored. So bored that she did the Unthinkable-she went shopping. That's right–she packed up her purse, fed Crookshanks, got in her new car-a convertible her parents had given her for her 17th birthday–and went zooming off to the nearest mall.  
  
So far, the excursion wasn't going all that badly-she had found herself a new pair of shoes, and had just finished purchasing a new sweater when she heard a disturbance outside of the store. She peeked threw the window and gasped.  
  
*No, it can't be. Not Deatheaters, not here,* she thought, her eyes widening and heart pounding as fear and horror shot through her. True to her Gryffindor nature, however, she started to pull her wand from her sleeve, where she had kept it constantly since returning home.  
  
The sight of a white-blonde head stopped her where she stood preparing to join the fray. *Draco Malfoy* she thought, surprised. The surprise had nothing at all to do with him being near the Deatheaters, however. It had everything to do with the fact that he was running away from said Deatheaters. The sight of him with a look of fear on his face and *was that resignation in his eyes?*  
  
It was a look she was sure no one had ever expected to see on his face, and it was that look that spurred her into action.  
  
She burst out of the store, an aura of power around her. Before anyone had even finished turning around to see who had come bursting out, she had fired off three curses and a hex. Two Deatheaters went down immediately and several of their companions were blown across the hall and into a store–via the glass windows.  
  
In the ensuing confusions in which the Muggles began screaming even louder and a few store alarms went off, Hermione reached Draco and had grabbed his wrist. He whirled around, ready to strike her, but refrained when he saw who she was. "Granger!" he whispered, voice hoarse and low with disbelief- and fear.  
  
"We have to get out of here," Hermione said in a low voice. "This way . . ." she pulled him so that they were relatively hidden in a small alcove-at least, for the moment. "What the bloody hell is going on, Malfoy?"  
  
"They're after me," he said dully, no emotion evident in either his voice or his face.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Hermione snarled, enough sarcasm in her voice to make Snape proud.  
  
He straightened up and glared at her with a spark of anger in his eyes, which was replaced with a look of confusion when she said, "There now, that's better."  
  
He looked at her and opened his mouth. "What's bet-"  
  
"I can't have you shutting down like that-not now. Get out your wand, we need to fight our way out of here."  
  
"I can't," he said, despair lacing his voice. "They. . . they broke my wand." Answering her question before it was even given voice, he continued, "I refused them-I wouldn't join."  
  
An emotion that he never expected to see sent his way, especially from her, appeared in her eyes. She touched his arm and said simply, "I'm proud of you, Draco." At his expression of incredulity, she leaned closer to him and said earnestly, "I knew you would-now Harry and Ron each owe me 5 galleons." Mischief colored her voice, and he let out a snort of surprise and amusement. They shared a grin even as the Deatheaters started searching for them. Their conversation had barely taken a minute.  
  
The smile slid off Hermione's face, however, as she reached up her other sleeve and pulled out another wand. "I bought a second one, a week ago, just in case. I don't know how effective it will be, but it's better than nothing," she explained and handed it to him.  
  
Draco opened his mouth to thank her, but shut it when they heard a Deatheater's voice a couple of feet away. Hermione leaned across him, took careful aim, and whispered, "Stupefy."  
  
Avery–for Draco knew it was Avery *the bastard*–flew across the hall and crashed into the wall with a crack. A second look showed Avery's lifeless eyes peering towards the ceiling through the silver mask. Draco glanced at Hermione, only to see her eyes full of horror at what she had just done. "Hermione, this is war; things happen in war." His eyes hardened, "And it's better than the bastard deserved, anyway."  
  
She nodded, and pushed the horror aside-for now. She knew that it would come back even stronger, though, when this was all over.  
  
"Good girl," Draco said softly. "Now, how do we get out of here."  
  
She didn't answer, but transferred her wand to her left hand, and laced her right with his left. She then stood, pulling him up, and, after glancing at him briefly, they broke from their cover. Several Deatheaters fired curses at them, but they dodged them without letting go of eachother, and shot thier own in retaliation.  
  
Later, reflecting back on it all, she could not say what spells she used, or how she managed to get them to the parking lot relatively unscathed. She did remember the Deatheaters closing in on them, pushing them into a corner. "What do we do now?" Draco asked, his mouth going dry once more.  
  
Her eyes darted all around. One Deatheater saw this and said evilly, "There is no way you're getting away, little girl." She backed away when Draco would have advanced forward to take a last stand.  
  
"There is one more thing I can try," she whispered, barely audible, barely moving her lips. "But . . . it could go horribly wrong."  
  
"Worse that death at thier hands?" Draco whispered back, with a hint of the old Malfoy drawl back in his voice. When she didn't answer, he said, "Do it."  
  
She moved even closer to him and clutched him tighter, chanting something under her breath. Draco leaned his head towards her, and heard her sayng, "Don't let me splinch us, don't let me splinch us . . ."  
  
He only had time to feel an extra surge of fear, and then everything swirled and pain ruled his life, and the Deatheaters disappeared into the darkness before his eyes. 


	2. Ch 2Standing up and falling down

Changing of Ways  
  
Hey, thanks for the couple of reviews I got. Keep them coming, and spread the word. I enjoyed them. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to make them. I have a dilemna with an upcoming chapter, I might be asking for advice sometime down the road. Until then, enjoy.  
  
By the way, don't own ANYTHING. I swear under Veritas serum that I am not making ANY money.  
  
Ch. 2- Standing up and falling down  
  
They landed in a pile of tangled limbs in a bedroom. Draco assumed that this was Hermione's bedroom, seeing as how all of the walls were covered in bookshelves which were full of books. Hermione, through intense effort, levered herself so she was leaning back on her elbows and looked wildly about. "Thank God," she breathed. Through more effort, she disentangled herself from him and stood, swaying alarmingly. Draco steadied her the best he could from his sitting position on the floor, neither of them caring that his hands were on her thighs in an intimate way. Both were too tired to care, after fighting and running for their lives for almost three hours.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she cast the strongest wards she could muster, which weren't too shabby considering her level of exhaustion. While she did that, Draco pulled himself up to lean in a standing position against one wall, not being capable of standing on his own at the moment.  
  
"Done," Hermione said. She paused, trying to focus her mind on something. "Are either of us hurt in a life-threatening way? Or can our wounds wait until later?"  
  
"I think I can wait," Draco replied, running a shaking hand through is mussed hair. "How about you?"  
  
"I'll be okay." With that said, she collapsed onto the floor in a heap. Draco rushed towards her, alarmed. He felt for a pulse-one was there, strong considering. He looked for wounds-aside from a few scratches and bruises, she didn't seem to be hurt. He put it down to simple over- exertion; Hermione had, after all, cast many powerful spells, and managed to Apparate both of them-without splinching- to this room, and then cast some pretty hefty wards around the room.  
  
"Well, Granger, you just had to go and faint on me," Draco said, exasperated. Well, he meant it to come out as exasperated, but it came out gentle instead. "Let's get you in your bed."  
  
He looked over at the bed; it seemed miles away. He leaned down with a sigh and tried to pick her up, but couldn't. It wasn't that she was too heavy, he admitted to himself, it was that he was too weak. He settled instead for dragging her over and boosting her, with much moaning and groaning on his part, onto the bed. He felt himself sway dangerously, and knew that he himself was on the brink of collapsing.  
  
To keep himself from ending up on the floor, he crawled onto the bed next to Hermione and let unconsciousness take him away from the pain and fear for a time.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Albus Dumbledore was taking a rare moment for himself to stroll in the school gardens when the small owl zoomed past him. It made an alarmingly tight turn and came back towards him. On reflex, he reached out a hand and caught the poor thing. It struggled briefly, and then settled down to perch on his arm, holding out a leg from which a piece of parchment hung. "Go up to the Owlery," he told it as he untied the message. "You will be taken care of there." The owl hooted softly in appreciation and flew at a greatly diminished speed up towards the Owl's Tower.  
  
Before the owl had even made its way out of sight, Dumbledore had opened the letter.  
  
'Albus,  
Hermione Granger has been reported to have used her wand to cast a variety of  
powerful curses and hexes, but even the Minister admits that it seems to have been in  
self-defense. A shopping center near her home was attacked by Deatheaters, but we do  
not believe that she was the target. Ministry officials are cleaning up the mess, but we  
cannot find her. We urgently require your assistance.  
Sincerely, Arthur Weasley  
  
The twinkle in Albus Dumbledore's eyes went out as he rushed towards the castle to gather a few of his colleagues to help.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Gathered in Dumbledore's office, the four heads of houses looked at each other worriedly, not knowing what was going on. "Albus, what is the matter? What has happened?" Minerva McGonnagal (sp?) cried out, unable to bear the wondering any longer.  
  
"Minerva, Severus, Filius, Rosalyn, there was an attack on a Muggle shopping mall near Miss Granger's place of residence today." Minerva gasped. "It appears that she was there at the time, and fought with the Deatheaters. We know that she is alive, and are reasonably sure that she is free, but we do not know where she is. We cannot find her using any spell we know of."  
  
Minerva immediately started sprouting (no pun intended) off various places all around the world that the girl could be, rather hysterically, in fact, when Severus broke in, "Might I suggest, Albus, checking her home?"  
  
There was a stunned silence, and Dumbledore chuckled. "Why did none of us think of that? Good thing we have you for logic, Severus." He received a scowl and rolled eyes for his compliment.  
  
Seemingly as one, they rose and headed for Hogwart's gates, so they could Apparate to the Ministry, and then on to Hermione's home.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Two Ministry officials accompanied them to Hermione's house to see if she was there. They Apparated inside the house to avoid the Muggle neighbors, and called out loudly the moment they appeared.  
  
There was no answer.  
  
The Hogwarts staff exchanged worried looks, and then spread out to look through the house. It was Rosalyn Sprout who found the wards, albeit the hard way. She approached the last door on the hallway she was searching and the resulting activation of only a few of the wards was enough to throw her down the hallway. The ensuing crash and Sprout's yell of, "Albus, I think we found her," attracted everyone's attention.  
  
Everyone approached the door with caution. With a spell, one of the Ministry officials tried to disarm one of the wards, only to activate another, which slammed him into the ceiling and then onto the floor. "I have to admit, Albus," Snape said silkily after the man had picked himself up, "That I am impressed with her wards. These are the strongest I have seen in over 20 years."  
  
McGonnagal's jaw dropped. She had never heard him give such praise before, let alone to a Gryffindor, especially a Gryffindor who was best friends with Harry Potter, the bane of the Potion Master's existence-well, barring He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, anyway.  
  
"Minerva, do close your mouth, the dumbstruck look simply does not suit you," Severus added, noticing the effect of his previous words.  
  
The other Ministry official turned towards the quintet with an awestruck look on his face. He had just finished running a diagnostic test on the wards-very very carefully, of course-and said, "This will take days to unravel."  
  
"But what about Miss Granger?" Minerva half-shouted, outraged. "She could be hurt in there, or worse!"  
  
"Minerva, I do not believe that Miss Granger is in any immediate danger. I think the best solution at this point is to wait for her to come out on her own. Meanwhile, we need to meet with Cornelius to discuss this," Dumbledore said.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
They sat in the chairs in front of Cornelius Fudge's desk. The Minister, it seemed, was worried over the fact that Hermione's rooms were so well warded. "Where did she learn them, Headmaster? I know that most of those wards are not taught in Hogwarts," he said.  
  
"Miss Granger is a brilliant witch, Cornelius, with a fondness for books. I dare say that she learnt them there." With sudden understanding, he asked, "Why ask, though. Where do you think she learned them?"  
  
"Well, considering the wards and the spells that she threw today, I was wondering if she might have. . . might have switched sides, perhaps in her pursuit of knowledge?"  
  
The teachers looked shocked; after glancing at each other, however, they burst out laughing, even Snape. Soon they were laughing so hard that Rosalyn Sprout fell out of her chair and Flitwick had tears of mirth running down his face. Snape was the only one capable of speech, and even he was having a hard time of it. "Miss Granger. . . a Deatheater. . . where. . . ever did you . . . come up . . . with that . . . one, Cornelius?"  
  
The Minister merely glared at them while Rosalyn climbed back into her chair . After another couple of minutes, they managed to control their amusement. However, they made the mistake of sharing another glance the moment the Minister started to speaking, and peals of laughter rang through Fudge's office once more.  
  
"Really, Cornelius, you have to admit how ridiculous that sounds," Dumbledore said after they managed to rein in their laughter. "Miss Granger, future Head Girl, best friend to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, a follower of Voldemort?" It was a testament to how amused they still were that none of the teachers flinched at the name, though Fudge sure did.  
  
"I suppose not," he said stiffly. He paused awkwardly for a second, and then asked, "So what do we do now?"  
  
"We wait," Dumbledore told him. "And hope Miss Granger will decide to come out soon."  
  
*Please Review. I crave feedback. The story will starve without it.* 


	3. Ch 3Painful rebirth

Hey, I got a beta! Yaaah!! Thanks to Fervesco for some of the grammar problems, and for being a human thesaurus for those pesky words that keep wanting to repeat themselves. Read and Review please!!  
  
Hey, don't own it, never will, though I'm flattered you would think so.  
  
Ch. 3-Painful rebirth  
  
Draco woke up, partly from the pain of trying to roll over, and partly because his arm had just brushed across warm skin that did not belong to himself. Under normal circumstances, his eyes would have flown open as he leapt up in panic. Now, however, he pried his eyelids apart and let his head roll to one side.  
  
His startled silver eyes met confused gold ones.  
  
"What . . .?" Hermione asked, looking sleepy and disheveled.  
  
"You fainted. Figure you'd be more comfortable on the bed than the floor." When her eyes questioned him further, he continued, "I felt faint, so I decided I would rather be on the bed as well, seeing as how there would be no one to put me there."  
  
She nodded faintly, then winced. There was a horrible crick in her neck. *Come to think of it,* she thought, *my whole body hurts.* "I don't think I can get up," she moaned.  
  
"I'd offer to help you but I know I can't move," he told her drily. "I think my muscles are frozen in place."  
  
They laid there in silence for a few minutes, contemplating their dilemma. Hermione was nearly in despair when she realized that she desperately needed to use the loo. With this urgent incentive she managed to get up and walk, albeit stiffly, painfully and with a limp, across her room to the attached bathroom.  
  
"I thought you said you couldn't get up," Draco called to her when she came back out, still not having moved a muscle himself.  
  
"I thought I couldn't," she retorted, but there was no anger apparent in her voice or eyes. In fact, there was a small smile playing around her lips. "But, you know, when nature calls. . ." She limped over to his side of the bed and sat down next to him. "Never thought I'd be this grateful to my parents for buying me this monstrosity of a bed," Hermione said, looking at it. It was indeed gigantic, with a huge headboard inscribed with angels. "Though I'm sure they never thought I'd drag a boy here under any circumstances."  
  
Draco chuckled weakly and then gasped in pain as a muscle spasm ran through his body. He curled into the fetal position, trying in vain to decrease the pain. It lasted what seemed like an eternity, while in reality it was only a few minutes. When he came out of it, he found his head in Hermione's lap, her cool hands stroking his face and hair.  
  
"You had the Cruciatis cast on you, huh?" she asked gently. He grunted affirmatively, not feeling up to anything else. *Of course she would know the side effects,* he thought, *she's the know-it-all.* The name no longer held any malice, however, and he was grateful not to have to explain.  
  
"I'll be back in a moment," she told him, easing his head off of her lap. "I'm going to get my wand."  
  
She spotted it lying in the middle of the room. She bent over carefully, trying not to topple over, and managed to successfully retrieve it. Hermione heard another gasp of pain as she slowly stood, and she rushed back to Draco's side.  
  
She waited for it to pass before casting a few minor healing charms. The tension in his face lessened a little but Hermione knew that pain still had him in its tyrannical grip. Smoothing his long hair back again, she got up, shoving her own discomfort to the back of her mind in order to deal with his.  
  
He looked at her, his eyes filled with torment and questions, but she motioned for him to wait a moment before walking to her bathroom again. She dug around in the cabinet under the sink until she found what she was looking for: her emergency potions kit. It contained a few ingredients, but most importantly a small amount of long-keeping pain relief and healing potions. She hauled the container back towards the bed and pulled out a vial. "We need to sit you up," she told him, a professional air surrounding her.  
  
She piled some pillows behind him and with a little help from him she managed to get him in a sitting position, though both were out of breath when they were finished. "Drink this." She handed him the vial, which contained a dark purple liquid. He looked at it warily. "For goodness sakes, it's not poison!"  
  
"I know it's not. I just happen to know what it is, and I don't particularly like it." At her exasperated her look, he reluctantly downed the potion. A shudder ran through him, "Ugh! Disgusting!!" Suddenly, much of his tension oozed out of him. "But, oooh, better."  
  
"Glad it worked so well. Now, I know you were bleeding at some point, we need to check and heal the wounds." She paused before continuing, "I think you need to take off your shirt."  
  
Draco looked at her, and resigned himself to his fate. Hermione obviously wasn't go to take no for an answer. Despite the potion, however, he needed help to get it off. This gave him a small opportunity for revenge. "Always knew you'd be undressing me someday, Granger," he said with a fake leer.  
To his surprise and pleasure, she burst out laughing. He was glad; for a moment of sudden regret he had thought that she would take it the wrong way. She gently began rubbing a healing salve on some knife wounds on his back, not asking the questions he knew must be running themselves ragged in her mind. "I'll tell you someday," he said softly. She nodded with understanding. To fill the silence, he asked the first thing that came to his mind, "Where are your parents? I would have expected them to be knocking down your door, it's nearly noon."  
  
"They're on a cruise, and I'm here alone, except for Crookshanks," at his blank look, she said, "My cat. They haven't had a vacation in God- knows-how-long, so they're taking a well deserved break. That's why I was shopping-I got bored here, with no one to talk to."  
  
"Isn't it a little dangerous to be here all on your own, with the Death Eaters out there?"  
  
"Maybe, but I've kept my wands with me at all times, and there are wards around my house. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't an Auror or two lurking around every once in a while."  
  
"That disturbs you?" he asked, surprised at the biting resentment present in her voice.  
  
"Yes, it does. They could just tell me up-front, instead of hiding. Anyway, one of the ones I've seen gives me the creeps. I swear, I think he spies on me even when I'm in the loo." She stopped and snickered. "I got him good last time, though, and he doesn't even know it. He had been sitting down eating lunch, and Crookshanks stole his hat. While he was distracted, I slipped a time delayed potion into his flask to turn his hair all shades of the rainbow and to grow a matching beard. I didn't get to see it, but I bet it was hysterical. He hasn't been here since. I get the feeling that he's still psychedelic."  
  
For a moment, Draco was shocked, and then made a note to himself to never get Hermione riled up like that. He had felt enough taste of her hexes on the train at the end of fourth year, and he definitely did not want the humiliation that Townsend had received. "I saw him," he told her through a laugh. "Gods, that was the hardest I've laughed in forever. I don't think he's turned back to normal yet, either. They can't seem to find a counter-curse or an antidote."  
  
She laughed with him. She knew that the laughter and the jokes were their way of temporarily putting off thinking about what had happened, but couldn't help thinking that laughter was healing, as well.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
In hopes of finding out what had happened at the shopping center, Severus Snape decided to pay a visit to his old friend, Lucius Malfoy. After exchanging greetings and the required small talk, Severus decided to ask about his godson. "So, how is Draco faring? He is bored with the summer holidays already, I don't doubt."  
  
A savage look came into Lucius's eyes. "Don't speak that name in here ever again, Severus, unless you are planning on telling me that he is dead," he hissed. "I have no son, and you no godson. If you so much as see a strand of his hair outside of that school, he is to be killed. My orders, and the Dark Lord's."  
  
Severus raised one eyebrow at this outburst. Lucius was usually much more controlled. "Why, Lucius?"  
  
"He is a blood traitor, my friend; he refused the mark and claimed that he would see the Dark Lord fall." Severus couldn't help but feel pride at Draco's doings, but was careful not to make Lucius aware of that. "He was being . . . punished, but somehow managed to escape. He was, of course, pursued, but upon reaching a Muggle shopping center, another person joined the fray."  
  
Anger roiled visibly around the elder Malfoy. "We do not know who it was, as of yet, but after more fighting, they somehow managed to flee to an undisclosed location."  
  
"And the damage, Lucius?" He had to know if Hermione or Draco had been badly hurt.  
  
"I know they were hit with several curses, but were still going strong. Too strong. Avery is dead, as is Nott and Flint, Jr. Several others are at their homes recovering at this very moment." He was seething in rage.  
  
Severus quickly changed the subject and let Lucius calm down before he left, Apparating to Hogwarts' gates.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Snape hurried up the stairs and towards the Headmaster's office. He snapped out the password (Twinkies) and took the moving steps two at a time.  
  
Inside the other Heads of Houses were still waiting to be able to get in Hermione's room. Their anxious faces turned towards his when he entered. "I believe there's more trouble ahead for everyone," he announced. There was complete silence.  
  
"What now?" McGonagall asked, weariness and worry apparent in her voice.  
  
"Draco has gone missing. The Deatheaters at the mall were chasing him. He," here he let the pride he felt infuse his voice, "refused to take the Mark."  
  
This time the silence was a stunned one. "Well," Dumbledore started, "maybe Miss Granger will have some knowledge about his whereabouts and well- being when she exits her room. If she exits her room." The colleagues looked at one another, surprised. It was rare to hear impatience and frustration from the Headmaster, but that was definitely what they were hearing now.  
Severus sighed, wishing he could go looking for his godson, but knowing that, for now, his best hope for finding them was waiting for one little chit of a witch to grace them with her presence.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Hermione sighed as Draco rubbed a little bit of healing salve into her back where she couldn't reach. The shoulder muscles had been cramping too much to ignore. "Thank you," she told him.  
  
"Least I can do," Draco said breezily.  
  
"Smart ass," she said affectionately.  
  
"Bookworm," he returned easily.  
  
Hermione merely harumphed and looked down at her hands. She promptly wrinkled her nose. "I'm filthy!" she proclaimed. "I'm going to take a shower. You can have one when I'm done."  
  
With those words, she rifled through her dresser and pulled out a set of clean clothes and undergarments, which she hid from Draco, and marched to the bathroom. After a moment the sound of running water could be heard, and Draco decided that, instead of dwelling on the thought of Hermione in the shower, he would doze for awhile.  
  
That was Hermione found him when she came out, but the moment she approached the bed he jerked awake and looked around wildly. "Shhh, it's over," she said, and he immediately calmed.  
  
"Can I have a shower now?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, still towel drying her hair, which was beginning to frizz up. Slowly, Draco swung his legs off the bed, but swayed alarmingly once he managed to get to his feet. Instantly Hermione was by his side, her arm around his waist, his arm over her shoulder. "I guess you're going to have to settle for a bath, huh?" she said softly. "I don't think you can stand long enough to shower."  
  
He reluctantly nodded his agreement. They made their way to the bathroom, and she closed the toilet seat and sat him on it. She then proceeded to draw him a hot bath. "I'll leave you to it, then," she said, give him a cocky grin. "Call if you need me, and when you're done, dress in these-" she ran back into her room and came back with a pair of boxers, and jeans and a short sleeve shirt. "The boxers are mine, use them as pajama bottoms, they're clean, and the other stuff is my dad's. As I said, when you're done dressing, call me in and I'll wash your hair in the sink."  
  
He nodded, struck mute by her sudden burst of speech, but grateful, in a way, that someone was taking charge. Slowly, he undressed and, after using the other facilities, climbed into the large tub. He tensed at first- the water was bloody hot! After a moment, though, it became relaxing.  
  
He soaked for quite a while, and managed to pull himself out and dress slowly. "I'm done," he called.  
  
A moment later Hermione came in and gave him a small half-smile. Behind her she dragged a chair, which she placed in front of the sink. "Sit down," she told him, and while he was moving, she went over to the shower and grabbed two bottles. Draco eyed them nervously, but they didn't look too girly. She saw his look and her smile broadened. "What, afraid that when I'm done with you, you'll smell like a giirlll?" she drawled out the last word. "Just lean your head back, trust me."  
  
He looked at her again and did as she said. Strangely enough, he did trust her, more than he ever thought possible. First she wet his hair, and then rubbed the shampoo in gently. He knew that, if he were not so tired, he would be turned on by this, but for now, it was simply relaxing. So much so that he actually dozed off for several minutes. When he woke again, she was rinsing the conditioner out of his hair.  
  
"Done!" she told him triumphantly, and he sat up.  
  
"Thanks," he said, a little embarrassed by it. "Never thought you'd do something like that for someone like me."  
  
"No problem," she murmured, looking at him with eyes that were suddenly sad and contemplative. After a moment, she seemed to come to a decision. She reached back and briefly turned on the water, and then turned to him and slicked his hair back with her wet hand. "I rename thee Draco Kaden Lysander Malfoy. You are new, not bound by what has happened before, not accountable for what was done before. You are a new person, ready to remake your life as you see fit."  
  
He gazed at her, wonder in his eyes. He could feel magic in her touch; not magic as he knew it, but an ancient magic, having more to do with emotion than learning. She had just remade him in the eyes of the universe. He was no longer Draco Bronwen Malfoy, the pure dark dragon.  
  
"What does it mean?" he asked softly, knowing instinctively that the names had other meaning.  
  
"Kaden means fighter-and you are one. But Lysander . . . well, Lysander means one who is freed." She shrugged. "I thought it was appropriate."  
  
He pulled her into a hug. "Thank you," he said roughly.  
She made a small sound in the back of her throat and hugged him back. She didn't completely understand why she had done it, but she knew that somehow, she had done magic along with it. He was a new person now. She just hoped it would give him a sense of purpose, and incentive to right the wrongs he had done in the past, even though he was no longer accountable for them. *God knows,* she thought *we sure do need another good fighter for the war against the Dark.*  
  
But right now, the war could go to hell. She felt safe in this embrace, protected, and . . . loved? *That's ridiculous* she thought, but let herself feel nonetheless. So they both stood there, comforting and drawing comfort from one another, for a long while, before stumbling back to the bed and the much needed oblivion of sleep. 


	4. Ch 4Of Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating in awhile, but I don't have much computer access at home. Just a warning-with Christmas holidays coming up, it will be awhile before too many more updates, though expect another in a day or two. I will try to update at least once, though, I promise. It is guarenteed, however, that I will be writing away while I'm at home.  
  
Here's a shameless plug for myself- read my other story, I'm not a Child. It should be updated soon, too.  
  
Here's a plug for someone else- my friend Crystal Miller has a story started on FictionPress. Sorry, it's not HP, but I thought I'd give her a plug.  
  
Here's a big thanks to my beta, Fervesco. You're a life-saver!! Thanks for giving me several wonderful descriptive phrases, and glad you liked it. Keep up the good work!  
  
By the way, I own nothing. JKR has that pleasure, I'm just borrowing the basics. Hope you don't mind, please don't sue me!  
  
Ch. 4-Of Bedknobs and Broomsticks  
  
The current occupants of the Headmaster's office were fast being pushed towards wailing, gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair. *If the students could see us now* Severus thought with suitable sarcasm.  
  
The four Heads of Houses had not left the office except to use the toilet. Sprout's flyaway hair was worse than ever and her eyes were puffy and re-rimmed from crying. Flitwick had lost his bounce; he stared drearily out of one of the many windows. But worse than both of them were McGonagall and Severus as it was a favored student each worried over. The lines on Minerva's face were deeper than ever and there were bags under her eyes. Her face was gaunt with worry and wisps of hair strayed out of her normally perfect bun. Severus's hair was greasier than ever and the normally imperturbable man had become jumpy. The pair had spent hours waiting vigilantly for news, resting from their pacing of Dumbledore's office in what quickly became uncomfortable upholstered chairs.  
  
Only Dumbledore outwardly appeared to be his usual self. Well, as usual as he could be without his customary twinkle. He had busied himself with checking in with both the Ministry and the Order's headquarters, which had become quite an ordeal, as each appearance and departure from Hogwarts required him to walk outside the gates before Apparating.  
  
It was Minerva who broke the latest silence that had fallen over the group. "Why isn't she out yet? It's been over 24 hours!"  
  
"We must be calm, Minerva, and as much as I hate to say it, optimistic," Severus said, flopping with uncharacteristic gracelessness into a different chair than he had previously occupied.  
  
"You don't look that calm yourself," she snapped.  
  
"My godson might be dead, and I am going to have to act as if I don't care, or if he is alive, I will have to pretend to try to kill him, so forgive me if my composure has slipped a notch," Severus snarled.  
  
Minerva bristled and was about to reply when Dumbledore intervened. "It will do no good to fight amongst ourselves. I suggest a change in scenery; let us go wait in Miss Granger's house."  
  
"What about Draco?" Severus demanded.  
  
"There is nothing else we can do right now, Severus. We have a dozen agents keeping an eye out for him. As with Miss Granger, all we can do is wait. And perhaps our patience will pay off; she may know the whereabouts of Mr. Malfoy as well."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Hermione and Draco awoke to find out that sometime during the night . . . or had it been morning? . . . they had snuggled up against each other. *More than snuggled* Hermione admitted to herself.  
  
One of her legs was slung over his hip, and her other was between his legs. Their arms were around each other, holding one another close. Her head lay on his chest. *This should scare me* she thought *Instead, I feel as if I've come home.*  
  
"You awake?" Draco asked.  
  
She could feel the vibration of his voice run through her body. "Yes."  
  
*Well, she doesn't sound upset* Draco thought with relief. It felt so . . . right to wake like this, to have her in his arms, but he wasn't going to dwell on that just yet. "What's the plan for today? Are we going out?"  
  
"I think we have to go outside, make sure the rest of the house is still there and contact Dumbledore, though he probably already knows."  
  
"Do we have to? Can't we stay in here, together, for a while longer and pretend that nothing happened except us meeting each other in a mall?" His voice was surprisingly wistful.  
  
She burrowed her head deeper into his chest and whispered, "I wish." There was a hint of tears in her voice.  
  
"If wishes were broomsticks . . ."  
  
Hermione pulled back and said, "I know. Then beggars would ride."  
  
"I was going to say 'And all Weasley's would ride Firebolts.'"  
  
"You!" she laughed and gently slapped his arm. Both were still sore. His comment, however, did lighten up their mood. She rolled away from him and was going to get up when she discovered her leg was still trapped between his. She tugged on it and he tightened his grip, smiling mischievously at her. "Let go!" she said, pulling harder.  
  
When he refused, a bout of wrestling ensued. In no time Draco had her pinned to the bed. Both were breathless with laughter and a foreign emotion. *She's beautiful* he thought. He leaned down and gave her a very chaste kiss, then immediately rolled away and got off the bed.  
  
"Ha, I get the bathroom first!" he said with a light-heartedness that he didn't feel. Something had happened when he had kissed her; his heart had stopped for a moment, and it scared him.  
  
She lay there with a smile on her face until he exited the bathroom. "You don't play fair," she informed him as she grabbed the bedknob to pull herself up.  
  
"I know." He had a shadow of his old smug smile on his face.  
  
She grabbed a clean set of clothes and locked herself in the restroom for about ten minutes. Though she looked exhausted, and her make-up did nothing to hide this, she none-the-less still looked beautiful. He gave a low whistle and she blushed a little.  
  
Walking resolutely over to her night stand, she grabbed her wand from it. Draco picked up the wand she had given him to use. Out of curiosity, she asked, "How does it work for you?"  
  
"Pretty well, considering it's not one that chose me. Mine did work easier, though."  
  
She nodded and smiled at him "Ready to go out into the real world once more?"  
  
"Ready when you are, beautiful." She looked at him askance but said nothing.  
  
Hermione stood several feet away from the door and flourished her wand, muttering under her breath. Draco could feel some of the wards come down but not all. "Just a precaution," she said, looking back at him.  
  
She went to open the door but Draco put his hand on his arm to stop her. Despite everything he had been raised to believe about Muggles and 'Mudbloods,' he was still a gentleman who could not let a lady head out into danger. "Let me go first," he requested. She stepped back and gestured at him to precede her.  
He cautiously turned the knob and eased the door silently open. Both had their wands at ready. As they peeked cautiously around the doorjamb, they heard a small thump, like a chair being hastily put back down on all four legs. Whirling in the direction it had come from, they froze in shock.  
  
In the middle of her upstairs hallway were five chairs, which contained Headmaster Dumbledore and the four Heads of Houses, all of whom were looking at her and Draco with open mouths and surprise etched on their tired faces.  
  
Please Review!! I love feedback-if you don't, my muse knocks me upside the head with her frying pan (I have no idea where she got it, but I haven't been able to get it away from her). Thanks! 


	5. Chapter 5 Telling Tales

A/N: First off, I want to apologize for the long time it has been since I updated last. Let me explain before you try to kill me. The first month or so was so not my fault. My beta had a lot of real life issues to deal with, and so I have had to find another one. Bless her, she has had some problems as well, but finally, it's here. (The last week or so has been entirely my fault. Bad author, bad author!!) Well, hope you enjoy it. Please review. Oh, and thanks to Kai Saloma, my beta. You're great!  
  
Disclaimer: I wish.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Ch. 5-Telling Tales  
  
"Draco," Severus breathed, the first to break the stunned silence. He covered the ground between them with long strides.  
  
"Severus," Draco replied. They clasped hands and Severus pulled Draco closer, carefully clapping his shoulder. He had known enough of Voldemort's and Lucius' punishments to understand that he would still be in pain. Hermione practically had question marks in her eyes. Draco resolved to explain everything to her later.  
  
Minerva was the next to speak. "Hermione! Thank Merlin you're all right!" She hugged Hermione tightly and she tentatively returned the embrace, trying not to wince as her muscles protested.  
  
When Minerva finally released her, Hermione stepped closer to Draco and scanned everyone's faces. Seeing her confusion, Dumbledore started talking. "We are all relieved to see that both of you are alive and well."  
  
"We're not exactly well, sir," Hermione and Draco said at the same time with the same dry, slightly sarcastic tone.  
  
"Of course not," Severus said. "I know from experience what Draco must have been through. From the amount of spells and the level of power that the Ministry recorded from your wand, Miss Granger, I can tell that you must be exhausted still." She blinked at him-had he just said something half-way nice? "Plus those exceptional wards you erected must have bottomed you out."  
  
She knew her jaw must be on the ground and her eyes popping out of her sockets. That had definitely been a compliment. "And, Miss Granger, if you tell anyone what I just said, you will regret it immensely." *There, that was better* she thought. She had been beginning to think that she had slipped into some weird alter-universe or something.  
  
Dumbledore was twinkling at her expression. He said, "We need to debrief you on what happened the other day."  
"And get you to the safety of Hogwarts," Minerva added.  
  
"We have to go to Hogwarts?!" the pair exclaimed. They didn't want to leave this place so soon, they were safe here and they could be alone together and get to know one another better, away from the prying eyes of their elders.  
  
Minerva looked taken aback, but Dumbledore interrupted before she could say something that would further upset them. "No, you do not have to come to Hogwarts. We will ward the house and you may stay here." When Minerva looked about to speak in protest, he addressed her. "They need to learn to live with each other-they will be sharing a common room as Head Boy and Girl next year."  
  
Minerva conceded with a nod. Draco and Hermione stared at each other in amazement before she squealed and flung her arms about him. He swung her around in a circle and laughed.  
  
Dumbledore, Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall looked on with astonishment while Severus looked amused and appraising.  
  
Hermione turned to them with tears running down her face, but also a smile firmly in place. "I'm sorry," she told them. "It's just . . . after all that . . .and now . . ."  
  
"No, we don't know, Hermione. Why don't you both tell us." Dumbledore's voice was the gentlest she had ever heard it. He led the way to her living room downstairs after the two of them had nodded their agreement.  
  
Hermione and Draco sat on a couch and the professors conjured up chairs and settled in opposite them. Draco took a deep breath and spoke. "I think it all started with me, about a day before the mall. Lucius and the Dar-Voldemort confronted me with a young Muggle girl. Said to kill her and take the mark, and I would be a part of the inner circle.  
  
"I couldn't do it." He looked at Severus desperately. The understanding he saw in his eyes gave Draco the strength to continue. "I refused, and they were furious. Lucius threatened and I didn't budge. His attack caught me by surprise, though. It was so fast. My wand was snapped before I could say Quidditch and I came to tied to a table. He . . . they . . ."  
  
Here he faltered and looked at the floor. Silently Hermione reached over and intertwined her fingers with his. His eyes jumped to hers and she saw a sheen of tears glistening in them. She squeezed encouragingly and he seemed to take heart. Slowly he began speaking again, gripping her hand tightly enough to hurt, but she didn't indicate it. He spoke of the knives and the curses with minimal emotion in his voice.  
  
As he described the torture, Hermione saw her Potions Professor grip his chair in anguish. She caught his eyes with her own tear-filled ones and saw fury and . . .compassion and sympathy there. With sudden insight, she realized that he had endured some of the same things. With that, her tears spilled over, but they were not only for Draco, but for him as well. And she knew that he saw that.  
  
She gave him a small, respectful nod and turned back to Draco. He was saying, "I'm not really certain how I escaped-I think I did some sort of wandless magic. The next thing I clearly remember is dodging curses in the shopping complex. Some one shot some curses at my pursuers and grabbed my arm. It was Hermione here-she saved my life. The rest of the story I think is hers."  
  
All eyes turned to her and she hastily wiped away her tears. "I . . . well, I'm never going shopping ever again. Ever ever." Everyone laughed nervously, though severus only gave a small smile. "I was bored, alone here while my parents are on a cruise. So I decided to go shopping." The word came out like an explicative. "It wasn't too bad. I was checking out of Harrod's with a sweater when I heard screams and the distinctive sound of an Avada Kedavra curse.  
  
"I went and looked out of the door and took out my wand. I saw Draco running from the Death Eaters. He didn't have a wand, and was barely avoiding everything. I don't think I realized it at the time, but he was bleeding. The shirt he was wearing was soaked with blood. I attacked and gave Draco my other wand."  
  
"You had two wands?" Flitwick asked, speaking for the first timesince they emerged.  
  
"I bought another a week or so ago, in case of an attack like that one."  
  
"Go on," Dumbledore urged when she paused.  
  
"We hid. To get away, I . . . I . . ." her eyes flooded with tears again.  
  
This time Draco squeezed her hand and told for her. "She stupefied Avery and he crashed into a wall. His skull cracked and he died."  
  
Sprout gave a small "Oh!"  
  
When Hermione still didn't continue, Draco stroked her hand softly. She closed her eyes brievly, taking in his touch. Clearing her throat, she finally continued. "We fought and ran for several hours, I think. Somehow, though, they managed to corner us. I gathered strenght and managed to Apparate us to my room. I warded it and then I don't remember."  
  
"She fainted, and left me to put her on the bed," Draco said in a long-suffering voice. "Then I passed out next to her."  
  
"What have you done in the last day and a half?" Sprout asked before Minerva could.  
  
"It's been that long?" Hermione asked. "Well, we slept, and then woke up. I partially healed Draco with my wand and with my emergency potions kit." A look of approval came over her Potion Master's face. "We showered-separately, Professor McGonagall-and, well . . ." She looked at Draco and asked him with her eyes if he wanted her to go on. He nodded.  
  
"I did some sort of magic on him. I followed a feeling I had. I rechristianed him, made him new. I'm not really sure exactly what I said or did, but I felt the magic."  
  
"I remember what you said-every word. I don't think I'll ever forget," Draco interjected in a soft voice. "'A new life, not accountable for your past, You are a new person, ready to remake your life as you see fit. I rename thee Draco Kaden Lysander Malfoy.'" His head tilted up proudly. "And there was magic involved, somehow."  
  
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. :It is not unheard of, though it is a very rare, ancient, powerful wandless magic."  
  
Hermione collapsed back on the sofa, overwhelmed. Wrapping a protective arm around her, Draco said, "Enough. No more today."  
  
"I agree." Dumbledore effectively ended any further questioning. "We will ward the house so only the two of you can let people in."  
  
"We'll have Madam Pomphrey come tomorrow," Sprout added.  
  
"Thank you," Hermione said, fast fading towards sleep.  
  
Draco stood up and draped Hermione's arm over his shoulders, saying, "We'll leave you to it, then." He started to half walk, half drag Hermione towards the stairs they had descended earlier, wincing in pain as he did so.  
  
"Here, I'll do it." Severus strode over and gently scooped Hermione into his arms.  
  
Draco looked embarrassed at his weakness but thanked Severus anyway. "Relax," Severus told Hermione as she gave a token struggle. "I'm not going to eat you."  
  
She ceased her movements and leaned her head wearily on his shoulder. In a fraction of the time it would have taken Draco, Severus was laying her on the bed. He took in the rumpled sheets and the two body prints side- by-side, but made no comment until he was on his way out. "Just be careful if you let anything happen," he told Draco. "Take care of each other. I'll be by tomorrow. I'll come to the back door."  
  
Draco shook his hand in silent thanks. "Take care of yourself. Don't want anything to happen to my favorite godfather."  
  
Severus gave him a faint smile and left to join the others in casting protective wards around the house. 


End file.
